Plug-in hybrid it may be, but the latest S63 still adheres to the AMG flagship criteria: big V8, huge power, outrageous luxury. Affalterbach isn’t giving up on that just yet, even with AMG EVs chomping at the bit to assume top-dog status. In case you missed all the info on the first E-Performance S-Class, see here - the important takeaways are 802hp, 3.3 seconds to 62mph, 2,595kg and 64mpg.
Now there’s another big number to add: a list price in Germany of €208,392.80, or just about £183,000. We’d expect a UK RRP approaching £200k when it goes on sale here. The car seen here is the standard S63; as has become AMG tradition, there will be an Edition 1 offered, though it’s not confirmed whether that will come to the UK yet.
That version gets 21-inch forged cross-spoke AMG wheels in place of the standard 20s, Manufaktur alpine grey paint, a standard AMG Exterior Night Package, Edition 1 logos, red accents and even a bespoke car cover to protect the S63 from dust and scratches in the garage.
The Edition 1 car cover isn’t an option available to buyers of the standard car, but there’s plenty more available on the extras list. Even in euros, it’s very easy to imagine the S63 becoming a £200k car in the UK if it isn’t to start with. Raising the speed limit to 290km/h (180mph) is €2,261, slowing it down again with ceramic brakes is €8,925, and you can’t have those without the €3,808 21-inch wheels… It’s going to get expensive.
The S63 E-Performance will roll off the Factory 56 assembly line in Sindelfingen, a Mercedes factory that opened in 2020 and which also makes the EQS 53; being able to incorporate a V8 hybrid supersaloon into a facility making - among other things - an EV flagship is quite clever. As you suspect the S63 might be, with active-roll stabilisation, rear-axle steering, the F1 tech in the hybrid system and something called Pre-Safe Impulse Side. It really is going to be jam-packed with tech, as is S63 tradition.
Speaking of tradition, it’d be rude not to have a quick look at old S-Class AMGs with a new one imminent. Like so many large, fast saloons, they depreciate wickedly, which only serves to make them more tempting down the line. Those happy to take a 4.0-litre S63 without the hybrid boost might be intrigued by this one, like any other S-Class in silver yet boasting more than 600hp; the previous 5.5 can be bought for as little as £35k. And those still pining for a V12 need look no further than here - what a way to spend £110,000 a long wheelbase S65 might be.
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